


la primavera

by galaxy_witch



Series: in love and death [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Angst with a Happy Ending, But no actual dying, Flowers, Fluff, Hades and Persephone, Light Angst, M/M, Mentions of Death, Mythology - Freeform, Pagan Gods, Spring, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-06 05:58:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14050434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxy_witch/pseuds/galaxy_witch
Summary: For most people who entered the Underworld, it would be their last stop.For Hajime, it was his only stop.He didn't mind being the King of the Underworld. Many humans, and even some of his own brothers and sisters, were scared of him, but Tooru didn’t seem to care that Hajime’s life revolved around death and darkness. In fact, Tooru knew who he was when they first met and did not push him away.





	la primavera

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a day late, but happy Spring Equinox ya'll! I got inspired to write a Greek mythology AU for the occasion. 
> 
> Disclaimer: This story is inspired by Hades and Persephone's story from Greek myth. I understand that their story is a lot different and a lot more controversial than this one, but I decided to romanticize the story for entertainment purposes. Also, I referred to all of the characters by their first name, just because it felt right.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

Hajime’s life was dedicated to death.

He watched over the gates of the Underworld, walked on the banks of the River of Death, and assisted the deceased into the vast expanse of the eternal Underworld. His ears were always met with the somber sounds of soft cries that echoed through the caves from those who refused to travel down the river. For most people who entered the Underworld, it would be their last stop.

For Hajime, it was his only stop.

He didn’t mind being King of the Underworld. Wondering the dark caves as souls passed on seemed quite bleak, but as a god, he had no one to answer to. This was his duty- not one chosen out of his own volition, but a necessary job, and he accepted the role with only a little reluctance.

Many humans, and even some of his own brothers and sisters, were scared of him. Most gods gave life to the world, and Hajime was responsible for giving life to a place of death and sorrow.

Humans shook with fear just at the sound of his name, and they spent their entire life dreading the day in which they met Hajime and the other gods of the Underworld face to face.

It wasn’t all too bad for him, though. His servants kept him company, and occasionally Takahiro would engage in conversation while escorting souls to the gates. Kentarou, whose job in the Underworld was guarding the gates, only ever looked to Hajime with disinterest. The only time Kentarou ever interacted with anyone was when he busied himself with ripping the heads off of souls who were trying to escape.

For a god who spent most of his time up in the Realm of the Gods, Takahiro wasn’t too bad to talk to. He kept Hajime up to date with all of the strife between the gods and their interactions with humankind. His stories actually made Hajime thankful that he wasn’t present to deal with the messes that his brothers and sisters made.

He wasn’t interested in lounging about the heavens watching humans give into war and destruction while the gods sat and laughed at their misfortunes. Hajime had an important job to do, and if he was needed in the Underworld, that is where he would stay.

Still, many gods probably would have considered Hajime’s existence quite a lonely one.

He usually never went to earth himself to escort the souls of the dead, except on special occasions when Takahiro felt that he needed assistance. Hajime did not like being in his human form, it made him feel weak and vulnerable despite the fact that he could return to his true form at any time he wanted.

The day he met Tooru was one of those rare days.

He was on his way through the countryside when he came across a large field of flowers. Hajime didn’t know much about the flowers that grew on planet Earth, and something inside of him compelled him to stop and look around.

There were endless rows of flowers stretching far across the field. Mostly whites, pinks, and yellows, dusted across the field in an abundance of different forms. One patch of flowers in particular happened to catch his eye, as they were different from the rest. Where Hajime stood the flowers appeared to be black, which contrasted dramatically among the bright yellow flowers surrounding it. He walked up to the patch of flowers to closer observe them, and they instead appeared to be a deep purple, almost like the waters of the River of Death. They reminded him of the flowers growing in the Gardens of the Underworld. They reminded him of home.

“Purple calla lilies,” a voice behind him spoke out.

Hajime turned and faced a man standing a few inches taller than himself, with golden brown hair resting delicately on his face. Hajime could tell immediately that he was immortal, as he was clearly too beautiful to be human. If he was mortal, Koushi, the god of love and beauty, would have otherwise planned his demise by now.

“Lilies,” the man repeated after Hajime failed to speak. He walked past Hajime and bent down beside the flowers that he was admiring just a moment ago. Hajime’s gaze followed the man as he bent down.

“These are the only lilies I grow in my garden nowadays,” the man said, giving Hajime a small smile. “I used to grow all different kinds of lilies, but Koushi was a bit jealous of how beautiful they were. I promised him that I’d grow these purple ones because a lot of people think their color is a bit ugly.”

“I don’t think they’re ugly,” Hajime responded.

“You think so, Hajime?” The man moved away from the patch of lilies and began to walk towards Hajime. “You’re a long way from home,” the man teased.

Hajime just nodded in response. He wanted to ask who this man was, but he spoke again before Hajime was given the chance to ask questions.

“I’m Tooru, keeper of Earth’s gardens. I’m surprised we haven’t met until now,” Tooru answered, stretching out his hand to shake Hajime’s. He took Tooru’s hand, which felt almost uncomfortably soft and warm.

Hajime had heard about Tooru from Takahiro quite a long time ago. He hadn’t visited Earth or the Realm of the Gods in a long time, apparently.

“I’m just up here for business.”                                                                        

Tooru laughed, and the sound vibrated a little too long in Hajime’s ears. He hadn’t heard a sound quite as beautiful in a long time, or perhaps ever.

“Well, Hajime, I won’t keep you from your business. But do feel free to come up here for some sunlight every once in a while, yeah?” Tooru asked.

“I don’t need sunlight,” Hajime said while looking up towards the sky and squinting, unamused by its radiance.

“Everyone needs a little light, Hajime,” Tooru said, and his smile was a little more blinding than the sun was.

“It was nice to meet you, but I must be going now,” Hajime responded simply. He gave Tooru a nod and turned to leave. Tooru watched him go, offering a sweet smile and a wave.

Hajime had a dreadful feeling that he’d see Tooru again.

Dread was the word he used to describe the sensation. Dread was a feeling he was all too familiar with. Realistically he knew that the feeling bubbling inside of him was something else entirely.

 

 

◊♦◊

 

 

Hajime was responsible. He did what he needed to do– he took count of the souls entering the Underworld, upkept the grounds, and he never neglected any of his duties.

His job didn’t have to be a full-time job. People passed through the underworld with little trouble, and any trouble that did arise was usually taken care of by Kentarou before Hajime even needed to get involved.

Kentarou gave Hajime a suspicious glare the first time he opened the gates to the Underworld to pass over into the human realm after meeting Tooru. It was unlike Hajime to make an unprompted trip to Earth, especially so soon after returning.

Hajime knew Kentarou would not ask where he was going. If he was asked, he would have simply said that he had business with Takahiro on Earth.

The truth was that he was going to see Tooru again. And again, and again…

It was a fact that both excited and scared him. He didn’t know why he had such a sudden fascination with this god, but maybe because it was rare for the other gods to greet him with such warmth and genuine interest.

As cruel as the gods could be, most of them were not takers of life. And that thought alone had many gods turn their heads at the sight of Hajime. Not because they were disgusted with him, but because they felt sorry for him– a god doomed to life in the Underworld because it was a job that none of his brothers or sisters would take.

Tooru didn’t seem to care that Hajime’s life revolved around death and darkness. In fact, Tooru knew who he was when they first met and did not push him away.

Hajime felt selfish for leaving the underworld unprompted, but his curiosity about Tooru outweighed the guilt.  

So he would keep meeting Tooru when he had the chance, against his better judgement. If Kentarou was having trouble in the Underworld, he’d send a servant to find him on Earth and Hajime would return. No one really needed to worry about where Hajime was sneaking off to in his free time.

Tooru seemed surprised the first time he saw Hajime again, and Hajime himself was surprised too. He didn’t even know if Tooru would still be in the garden if he went and visited again.

“You’re here,” Hajime said at seeing Tooru among the flowers, tending his garden with great serenity.

“So are you.” Tooru smiled up at Hajime as he continued picking pink flowers.

“Do you spend a lot of time on earth?” Hajime asked, with no pretense masking his curiosity.

“It’s my job to be here, Hajime.” Hearing Tooru’s song-like voice speak his name prompted warmth to spread within him again, and he didn’t even know that this was something a god like him could feel. “Mother is getting old, and now I’m in charge of maintaining Earth’s gardens. I don’t spend much time in the Realm of the Gods, but I don’t really mind this either.”

“I don’t like spending much time on earth. My human form isn’t very favorable.”

“Oh? As far as I can see, your human form is actually quite favorable.” The suggestive wiggle of Tooru’s brow did not go unnoticed, but Hajime pretended not to be phased.

“Do you ever miss being with everyone else?” Hajime asked, and Tooru kept quiet for a moment before answering.

“Of course I do, but my parents and siblings often come to visit.” Tooru hummed and then stood to properly greet Hajime, carrying a bouquet of the pink flowers.

“Takahiro is really the only one who visits in the Underworld. No one wants to spend much time around a bunch of dead people.” Hajime could see the sympathy in Tooru’s eyes, which made him instantly regret his words. He didn’t need anyone feeling sorry for him.

“Makki-chan is great! I love hearing all the gossip from him.” Tooru smiled then and brought the bouquet he was holding over to a basket to set them down. Every move Tooru made was light and delicate, and watching him move was fascinating to Hajime. “Speaking of, he told me the other day that Koushi fell in love with a mortal again. Can you believe it? His name’s Daichi or something, I demanded frequent updates.”

Seeing Tooru so animated made him smile. Tooru proceeded to tell Hajime about all of the gossip from their realm. He wasn’t particularly interested in what the other gods were up to, but seeing Tooru laugh and yelp was reason enough to sit in the garden and listen to him speak.

From then on, visiting Tooru was a new part of Hajime’s routine.

Days passed as they always did, time was nothing for gods to be concerned with. It could have been weeks, or months, or years, since Hajime and Tooru met, but neither of them would know either way.

Hajime watched souls pass through the gates into the Underworld, as he walked out and adventured up into Tooru’s gardens.

Hajime would continue to visit Tooru, and the sun would continue to reflect the little specks of gold inlaid in Tooru’s hair and eyes. They two would share stories and gossip with each other, and the floral god would keep radiating a type of vibrant energy. It wasn’t too soon after Hajime started visiting that he really couldn’t care less about the human realm, pretty flowers, or sunlight. Oikawa Tooru was all the light he needed.

 

 

◊♦◊

 

 

 “New flowers?” Hajime asked one day as he approached the garden again, as became the routine.

Tooru smiled and nodded. He held out his hand for Hajime’s and led him over to the new patch of flowers.

They grew closer with each day they spent together. There were more soft touches, more side glances, and more suggestive quips from the both of them, and Hajime could not remember his heart feeling so fulfilled before he met Tooru.

It was no secret to Hajime that he had grown fond of the god. Love was not something he thought a god could feel, but he was certain that he wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by Tooru’s light indefinitely.

Being together, as gods, was unrealistic though. They both had jobs to do, and Hajime knew that his priorities were in the Underworld, while Tooru’s were here on Earth. They could meet like this often, in their human forms, but they could never really be with each other in the way in which Hajime desired.

In the back of his mind, he worried about how long this eternal summer was actually going to last.

Hajime forced himself to shake those gloomy thoughts from his mind as Tooru led him over to the new patch of dark flowers. They were a deep, purple-black just like the lilies Hajime spotted the first time he stumbled upon Tooru’s garden.

“Black tulips,” Tooru said, “they’re nicknamed ‘queen of the night’ tulips.”

“They’re beautiful,” Hajime said as he bent down to further examine the tulips.

“They reminded me of you, Hajime.”

Hajime didn’t think he had ever blushed before meeting Tooru, but he’s certain that he’d been doing a lot of that lately. Hajime stopped looking at the flowers to turn his body towards Tooru. He took a step closer so that their bodies were only an inch or two apart, and Tooru was already looking at Hajime with deep concentration when his eyes met the other’s.

“How so?” Hajime asked.

Tooru smiled, not his usually soft mile, but one of mischief, or maybe determination.

“These black tulips very rare, rarer than any other kind of tulip.” Tooru’s voice trailed off at the end, as he obviously wanted to say more.

“Go on,” Hajime encouraged, stepping just a bit closer.

“Besides for roses, tulips are one of the most common signifiers of love.” Tooru continued as Hajime raised one of his hands and gently placed it on Tooru’s cheek.

“It’s quite interesting to find a flower so dark and gloomy and yet so full of love.” Their noses were nearly touching at this point, and all it would take was the boldness of one of the two to just lean in.

“That’s kind of how I see you, Hajime.” Tooru’s voice went quiet at the end of his sentence, out of hesitation rather than fear. Hajime wouldn’t hesitate anymore– he leaned forward to finally press his lips against Tooru’s.

His lips were exactly how Hajime imagined they would be; soft, warm, and sweet, just like the rest of him. They stood there trading kisses, one after another, holding each other desperately close as if they would never feel each other’s lips again.

He didn’t know how long the kiss lasted, but when Hajime finally pulled away he was just as hungry for Tooru as he was before.

Tooru smiled at him and kept his forehead pressed to Hajime’s. Neither god wanted to pull away completely.

“I want you come back with me,” Hajime said, breaking the silence. Tooru smiled up at him, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You know I can’t. I have a job to do here on Earth.”

Hajime sighed and nodded against Tooru’s forehead. He knew that Tooru had responsibilities, just as he himself did.

He respected Tooru and his obligations to his mother and to planet Earth, but for once, he wanted to be selfish. He wanted Tooru to be selfish, too.

 

 

◊♦◊

 

 

Hajime hadn’t seen Tooru since their kiss, and he could feel his entire body buzzing as he approached the gates of the Underworld. Hajime was all too aware of the little extra weight he was carrying in his robes; a present for Tooru, one he didn’t expect to be accepted, but his optimism regarding the situation reigned triumphant.

As he walked out of the gates, Hajime was startled by the deep growl of Kentarou’s voice. He had never questioned Hajime, not until now.

“I know where you’re going Hajime, all the gods have been talking about it.”

“Have they now?” Hajime replied, turning half his body to glance back at Kentarou.

“You’re an idiot if you think his mother will let him leave the Earth to come here, of all places.” Kentarou approached Hajime, standing menacingly close. “You’re going to get yourself in trouble, give it up.”

Hajime sighed and took a step back. “I know that my choice to see Tooru isn’t wise. He has responsibilities and so do I, but I’m not willing to give him up. I will ask him to join us down here in the Underworld.”

With that, Hajime turned his back on Kentarou and walked up the bank of the River of Death without looking back.

“You’re being selfish, Hajime! Watch your back!”

Hajime didn’t need Kentarou telling him what he already knew. He was about to make a selfish decision, but it was one that he was willing to get in trouble for.

When Hajime approached the garden, Tooru was there, as he always was. He felt oddly relieved, as if for a moment he thought that he’d approach the garden and Tooru would be gone, or he’d be wrapped up in the arms of some other secret lover.

But there Tooru was. He immediately set aside the bright yellow flowers that he was picking fom the ground. He flashed Hajime a big smile before running right into his arms.

“Hajime,” Tooru said as his arms tightened around the god’s neck. “I missed you.”

Before he could answer, Tooru pulled him into a bruising kiss. Tooru was radiating with excitement at the sight of Hajime, but he could feel himself shake. One hand was resting on Tooru’s hip, while the other vibrated on top of the pouch that he was clutching by his side.

The kiss was brief, which Hajime was thankful for, because he wanted to present his offering right away, before he could convince himself to back out.

“I have a gift for you.”

“Oh?” Tooru said, letting go of Hajime and crossing his arms. “I thought you were my present.”

Hajime wanted to encourage Tooru’s flirtations, but he was too nervous to calm his anxieties. He then removed the pouch from the side of his robes and handed it out to Tooru.

He took the bag and gave Hajime a curious look before opening the pouch and pulling out what was inside.

“Are these,” Tooru hesitated, “pomegranate seeds?” he asked.

“Yes,” Hajime answered, and Tooru rolled a few seeds around in his hand.

“Sorry, Hajime, I don’t quite understand.” Tooru said. He didn’t look upset, just confused.

“Pomegranates are a symbol of love, fertility, and abundance. These seeds are from the gardens of the Underworld.” Tooru was silent again as he continued to fiddle with the seeds in his hand.

“If one eats food from the Underworld, they must stay there, isn’t that right?” Tooru asked. The realization was apparent through the newfound edge in his tone.  

“Yes.” The silence between them was heavy. Tooru continued to contemplate the seeds, and Hajime watched as his face scrunched up. “Look, I won’t be upset if you say no. I understand that you have your duties here on Earth. I’m being selfish in asking this of you, but I want you to come back to the Underworld with me.”

“Hajime,” Tooru whispered, finally looking at Hajime instead of the seeds. “I can’t leave my flowers. I can’t leave my mother, or my friends.”

It was the reaction Hajime was expecting, but it still burned.

“I understand,” Hajime said, and he could see the hurt in Tooru’s eyes. He never wanted to cause him pain.

“I’m really sorry,” Tooru said with a shaking voice while attempting to hand the bag back to Hajime.

Hajime couldn’t believe that he had almost convinced himself that Tooru would accept his proposal. He wishes he had said nothing at all.

“Don’t apologize. Keep them. I don’t expect you to change your mind, but you should keep them in case you ever need them. You could use the seeds to plant new shrubs.”

Tooru said nothing, instead he just looked between Hajime and the bag of seeds with eyes that became increasingly glossy by each passing second. Hajime was surprised that he wasn’t the one crying after the blatant rejection.

“I’m going to head back. Take care, Tooru.” Hajime had hoped for just a fraction of a second that Tooru would stop him, but he let Hajime go.

He really needed to stop being so optimistic.

Hajime didn’t turn back as he walked further away from Tooru’s garden. It hurt too much to think about an eternal life without the warmth of Tooru. He tried to be selfish, but Tooru had more sense and integrity than Hajime ever did.

When he returned to the gates of the Underworld alone, Kentarou met Hajime with a twisted, knowing smile.

 

 

◊♦◊

 

 

Hajime didn’t return to earth to visit Tooru. He wasn’t even sure that Tooru wanted to see him, so he was perfectly content with hiding away in the Underworld, alone, as he had always been.

Days seemed to pass slower without his visits to Earth, and it wasn’t until then that Hajime realized how lonely his life before Tooru really was.

One day Hajime took a walk through the Garden of the Underworld, the masochist he was, and imagined what Tooru would look like among the dark plants and vast blood red sky.

Tooru was right, he couldn’t leave his plants. He couldn’t leave planet earth.

He belonged under the light of the bright morning sun, picking pink flowers and humming into the wind. He was a beauty, one that Hajime was sure the other gods were jealous of, and Hajime couldn’t fathom how close he came to obstructing Tooru’s light.

None of this mattered, of course. Hajime had a job. He had responsibilities. He could go back to the way things were before Tooru, a life that was completely dedicated to his obligations. His loneliness and longing could be buried deep within his heart, never to reemerge and disrupt the working balance that he had created for himself.

He had returned to that normal routine, the one he sought after, but it was momentarily interrupted by the arrival of Takahiro.

He arrived with one of his infamous sly smiles spread across his face, but Hajime was not in the mood for his antics.

“Hajime~” Takahiro sang, “Long time no see, huh?”

“Hello Takahiro. What business are you attending to today?”

“None! What, I can’t just pop in to say hi to one of my best buddies?”

Hajime shook his head. “What do you want?”

“Nothing really, I just wanted to let you know that there’s a lot of fighting upstairs,” Takahiro said, and Hajime could tell that he was dancing around his purpose for visiting.

“That is of no concern to me.”

“Ah, but it is!” Takahiro exclaimed. He walked past Hajime and plopped himself down on one of the palace’s couches, making himself more comfortable than Hajime would have preferred. “Somebody may or may not have come across a bag of pomegranate seeds in Tooru’s garden.”

This peaked Hajime’s interest. “Stop being cute Takahiro. Tell me what you came here to tell me.”

“I’m flattered Hajime, but what would your boyfriend think?” Hajime wished he could see his own expression, but judging by the look on Takahiro’s face, he knew Hajime was not playing around. “Alright, alright! Tooru’s mother found the seeds you gave him. She freaked out and is currently ripping apart the heavens in a fit of rage.” Hajime felt guilty at that. He didn’t mean to get Tooru in trouble. He would have preferred to deal with the conflict his actions created instead of leaving Tooru to deal with them.

“His father, on the other hand, actually thinks that spending some time in the Underworld would be good for Tooru,” Takahiro said, wiggling his eyes at Hajime.

“What is the point, Takahiro?”

“The point? The point is, the Realm of the Gods is in chaos and your lover is miserable without you.”

“He is not my lover. He chose to stay on earth and I respect his decision. I won’t go back up there just because his father approves of me.” Tooru’s father was a powerful god who always got his way. He was one of the chief gods, and his word was often valued above any one else’s in the Realm of the Gods. Hajime would not succumb to his father’s requests if it meant going against Tooru’s own will.

“Yeah, whatever. You should hear the way he whines about you though. _Makki, I miss Hajime_ he cries _, Hajime is so beautiful,_ Hajime this and that… it’s quite tiring to listen to all the time.”

“I am here in the Underworld, where I was placed, and where I belong. Tooru is also were he belongs, and that’s all there is to be said.” Hajime turned his back to Takahiro, not wanting to discuss his heartbreak over Tooru anymore, and headed out of the room.

“You two are both hopeless messes,” Takahiro yelled after Hajime, sounding defeated. He had made his decision, and so did Tooru. They were both right where they were supposed to be.

 

 

◊♦◊

 

 

Hajime had barely even opened his eyes when there was a knock on his bedroom door. When he opened it, he was greeted by two of his servants.

“Sir, there seems to be some trouble by the gates. Kentarou would like to see you right away.”

Hajime thanked his servants with a sigh and then dismissed them. Kentarou never had trouble at the gates that he couldn’t handle, so Hajime was more than worried. He got dressed as quick as he could and hurried through the dark caves of the Underworld and towards the gates.

As he approached he could hear Kentarou yelling, but his words were indiscernible at his current distance. Hajime hurried his pace, and he did not anticipate what he saw when he finally approached the gate.

Tooru was standing there with Takahiro, who was shoving Kentarou away. Kentarou barred his teeth at Tooru, and Hajime wondered what Tooru did or said to anger Kentarou that badly.

Hajime almost laughed. Tooru, being a truly unbelievable creature, was standing there taking Kentarou’s rage with a smile on his face.

Tooru was the first to notice Hajime’s presence. In that moment his smug smirk dissipated, and his eyes widened as his smile turned soft. His appearance also made Kentarou and Takahiro stop, and they too turned to watch Hajime approach.

“Hajime,” Tooru breathed as he approached. “I’m so happy to see you.” He smiled, like he always did, but was still hesitant as he moved closer to Hajime.

“What are you doing here?”

“So straight forward, how typical of you Hajime.” He teased. “I must say, you have a very lovely guard dog.”

Kentarou growled again from where he stood behind Takahiro, and he was clearly ready to rip the god to pieces.

“Stand down, Kentarou,” Hajime warned. With another growl, Kentarou obeyed and walked away from the crowd. Takahiro lingered around the two, visibly interested in hearing their conversation.

“I’m here to stay,” Tooru said then, reaching for Hajime’s hand and interlacing their fingers. “I ate the seeds, I’m yours.”

Hajime froze. If Tooru truly ate the seeds, that means he must stay in the Underworld. At this point, Hajime did not know if that was a good or bad thing.

“Tooru, please do not feel as if you have to stay just because of-” Hajime started, but was interrupted before he could finish his protest.

“I’ve already made up my mind. I am here because I want to be. Not because you want me to, not because my father wants me to, but because I want to be.” Tooru moved closer to Hajime then. His body radiated a familiar warmth, one that he so desperately missed in Tooru’s absence. “I’m being selfish now. I want to be here with you Hajime.”

He didn’t understand the change of heart. But Tooru was here now, standing at the gates of the Underworld, eyes shining just as bright, if not brighter, than they ever did on Earth.  

Without thinking, he pulled Tooru in for a quick, gentle kiss. Now that Tooru was here, he couldn’t even imagine being without him again.

“I promised my mother that I’d negotiate with you though. I still plan on fulfilling my obligations back on earth.” Tooru said with red still paining his cheeks from the brief kiss they shared a moment ago. “I must return for just a few months, during growing season, in order for the flowers to bloom. But for the rest of the year, I’m yours.”

“But if you’re not tending the gardens all year, won’t the flowers die?

Tooru sighed and began to walk away from the gates and deeper into the Underworld with their hands still clasped. Hajime could hear Takahiro following behind them.

“Of course they will, but keeping them alive all year is draining. The land needs a break, the flowers need a break. I need a break.”

Hajime understood. He needed a break too, which is probably why leaving the Underworld to visit Tooru was so appealing to him in the first place. Tooru was his break.

“The flowers will return when I do. They live among humanity, they aren’t destined to live forever like we do.” Hajime understood. Neither of them were created to live among the mortals on Earth, and he realized that Tooru deserved to break way from the role in which he was placed, just as Hajime had when they first met.

“I want whatever you want Tooru, and if you want to be here then I will gladly accept you,” Hajime said, stopping so he could really look at Tooru and make him understand the depth of his feelings.

“I’m relieved, Hajime. I thought that I had hurt you beyond repair.”

Hajime just shook his head. He was just glad that Tooru was there, the amount of time he had to wait for him was of no importance.

“I’m sure Makki is glad that he doesn’t have to hear me whine about you anymore,” Tooru giggled, and they could hear Takahiro’s yell of _very glad_ echo in the distance.

The pair continued to walk hand and hand through the caves. Takahiro had decided to turn back at some point, and Hajime was thankful for the privacy.

Hajime couldn’t help but feel giddy. The Underworld was where he belonged, it was a place that had always felt right to him. With Tooru beside him, he felt even more complete. He spent so much time thinking that he and Tooru were already right were they belonged, but maybe Tooru really did belong here by Hajime’s side.

 

 

◊♦◊

 

 

Hajime awoke with a warm body entangled with his. He felt content, as he did every time he woke up next to Tooru.

On the other hand, this particular morning was not one to celebrate. Tooru had to return to Earth again, as he did for a few months out of each year, as a promise to his mother. It was bittersweet to see Tooru go, but he was happy that Tooru did not have to give up his duties on Earth. Tooru loved his gardens, and he loved Hajime, so he was happy that Tooru had the luxury of indulging in both. Even though Tooru chose to be with Hajime, the arrangement made him feel a little less selfish.

They walked to the gates together, as they always did, and were greeted by Takahiro and Kentarou.

“Good morning Makki-chan, Kyouken-chan.” Tooru was received by Takahiro with a smile, and by Kentarou with his typical snarl.

Tooru never stopped testing Kentarou’s patience, and it was amusing to watch them go at each other’s throats without fear or hesitation.

The two always lingered at the gates before Tooru’s departure, not wanting to pull themselves away from each other. Today was no different.

“Make sure you check on the garden for me, you know I don’t trust the servants to keep my babies looking beautiful,” Tooru said as he lightly pinched Hajime’s cheek.

Tooru insisted that he should take responsibility for the Gardens of the Underworld when he came to stay with Hajime. Tooru was excited about death’s garden, especially because he was able to grow plants and flowers that were unable to grow up on Earth’s soil.

“Of course, they will be left in perfect condition until you return,” Hajime responded. He lifted a hand to the Tooru’s, the one pinching his cheek, and planted a kiss on the top of his soft hand.

“I’m going to miss you,” Tooru whined.

“I know, I will miss you too.”

Without a word, Tooru outstretched his unoccupied hand. A flower then grew from his palm, and he handed it off to Hajime.

“It’s a purple calla lilly, like the ones you saw when we first met.” Tooru smiled fondly at Hajime. “It will keep you company until I come back.”

They both leaned in for one last kiss before Takahiro escorted Tooru away. As melancholy as this moment was, Hajime was excited to hear about all of the beautiful things that grew while Tooru graced the Earth with his presence.

Hajime was already excited for the day that Tooru would return to him.

**Author's Note:**

> In case anyone is less familiar with Greek myth, here are each characters mythological attributes!
> 
> Iwaizumi = Hades  
> Oikawa = Persephone  
> Oikawa's parents = Zeus and Demeter  
> Hanamaki = Hermes  
> Kyoutani = Cerberus  
> Suga = Aphrodite
> 
> kudos n comments are always appreciated! // catch me on [tumblr](http://emotabek.tumblr.com) :)


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